Collapsible case.



S. A. BARRY.

GOLLAPSIBLE CASE.

APPLICATION FILED mc.1e.191s.

1 Q3,9?8 Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

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THE NORRIS PETERS 60-. PHOTo-L!THO.. WASHINGTON, D.

S.A.BARRY@ OOLLAPSIBLE CASE.

APPLIOATION IILED DBO. 16, 1913.

1,,l23 9?8, Patented Jan. 5,1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Suva/Mom SHERMAN A. BARRY, 0F LINCOLN, CALIFORNIA.

COLLAPSIBLE CASE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

Application filed December 16, 1913. Serial No. 807,081.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SHERMAN A. BARRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lincoln, in the county of Placer and State of California, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Collapsible Cases; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention comprehends improvements in collapsible cases and relates more particularly to those of the type which are especially adapted for use in shipping eggs and similar articles.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a collapsible case of extremely simple and practical construction, which may be very quickly folded or collapsed into a compact form suitable for shipping by parcel post.

Another and more specific object of the invention is to provide a knockdown or collapsible case comprising a bottom, end walls hinged thereto so as to fold against the outer face thereof, side walls held in po sition by means of the end walls and a central partition, and a cover which when in position braces the entire box.

With these and other objects in view as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved case with the cover removed, Fig. 2 is a side elevation, Fig. 3 is a side elevation with the near side of the case removed, Fig. 4- is a bottom plan view of the cover of the case, Fig. 5 is a view in elevation, showing the case in its knockdown position, Fig. 6 is an inside elevation of one end of the case, Fig. 7 is an inside elevation of one side of the case, Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the plane of line 88 of Fig. 1, Fig. 9 is a section taken on the plane of line 9-9 of Fig. 1, Fig. 10 is a detail view of the locking means between the partition and side walls of the case, Fig. 11 is a detail view in elevation of one of the locking bolts carried by the end walls, Fig. 12 is a fragmentary end view of the cover, Fig. 13 is a section taken on the plane of line 1313 of Fig. and Fig. 14: is a fragmentary side elevation of one of the end walls, showing one of the catches carried thereby.

Referring in detail to the drawings by numerals, 1 designates the bottom of the case to the ends of which are hingedly secured end walls :2 and 3, in such a manner as to permit of their being folded against the lower face of the bottom; 4 and 5 the side walls; 6 a partition; and 7 the cover or top. The bottom of the case is spaced from a supporting surface by studs 8 so the hinges 9 will not be subjected to a strain when the case is slid over a floor or other surface. To prevent the lower edges of the end walls splitting, i provide for each of them a transverse rod 10 which is bent at its terminals into engagement with the edges of the walls. The fasteners which secure the hinges to the end walls are bent over this rod, as shown in Fig. 6.

Angle strips 11 are secured to the end walls and form, in conjunction with the side edges thereof, channels to receive the extremities of the side walls 4: and 5, as is clearly shown in Fig. 1. These last mentioned walls have their ends capped or bound by the binding strips 12, and pins 13 project longitudinally from the ends of the side walls through the caps and are received in openings l i formed in the angle strips 11.

To look the end walls firmly in engagement with the side walls, I provide two pairs of sliding lock bolts 15, one pair being carried by each of the end walls upon the inner face thereof. Directing attention to Fig. 6, it will be seen that these bolts are somewhat l-shaped and slide within similarly shaped recesses 16 formed in the end walls. The

bolts are held within respective recesses by staples 17 and 18 and are held in their projected positions by expansive spiral springs 19 which are rigidly fixed to the short arms of the bolt adjacent their ends and which bear against the staples 18. The bolts slide transversely across the end walls, are so positioned that two of them may be simultaneously grasped by the thumb and forefinger and be retracted so the beveled extremities 20 will not project into the channels 21. When the side walls are in proper position and the end walls are swung so that the channels 21 receive the terminals of the side walls, the bolts automatically snap into openings 22 formed in the inner faces of the side walls. As shown in Fig. 7, these openings extend through the inner walls of the cap 12.

The free end edges of the end walls are protected by caps or binding strips 23 and 2awhich are bent to engage the inner and outer faces of the end walls and cross over the end edges. The central portions of the strips are formed with longitudinal grooves or channels 25 which receive ribs, to be hereinafter referred to, carried by the cover. The ends of this cover are capped by the binding strips 26 and 27 which are bent substantially U-shaped in cross section around the ends of the cover. Longitudinal slots 27 extend through the cover 7 and cap 26 to receive catches 28 projecting from the upper edge of the end wall 3, as shown in Fig. 14:. The catches are locked in the openings 27 by the spring rods 29 in the form of a letter J. The short arms of the rods 29 are soldered or otherwise secured to the lower wall of the binding strip or cap 26 adjacent the inner edge thereof and the cover is cut away, as indicated by the numeral 30 to allow the long arms of the locking rods to extend outwardly through slots 31.

32 indicates heads carried upon the extremities of the long arms of the locking rods 29. When the cover is swung into position, the catches 28 project through the slots 27 and the locking rods 29 snap into engagement with the shoulders 28 of said catches. The other end of the cover 7 is connected to the end wall 2 by means of the longitudinally projecting pins 33 which porjects through ears 34 carried by said end wall. The cap 27 carries upon its lower side a longitudinal rib 35 which is received in the channels 25 of the cap or binding strip 23 and the other cap 26 of the cover is provided with a pair of short longitudinal ribs 36 which are spaced from each other and which are received within the groove 25 of the binding strip 24. This strip 24 carries a short rib 37 which partly fills the channel 25 and which engages the opposed ends of the ribs 36 when the cover is in position.

It will be obvious from the foregoing that the cover, when locked in operative position, greatly strengthens the case in addition to providing an effectual closure therefor.

The case is divided into two compartments by a web or partition 6 which is hingedly connected to the bottom 1 by a rod 39. This rod extends through a pocket formed by the binding strip 10 and has its terminals extended through the bottom 1 and bent into engagement with the outer face thereof. To hold the sides into close engagement with the partition 6, I provide the latter with angular gripping plates 41 which are slotted to receive the heads 42 of bolts or fasteners 43 carried by the side walls. Spring detents 44: hold the gripping plates 11 in locking engagement with the fasteners 43. It will be understood that the side walls 4 and 5 are detachable from the bottom 1.

When it is desired to collapse the case, the cover is first removed and this is done by first springing the free arms of the locking rods 29 toward each other to move them from engagement with the shoulder 28 of the hook 28. Then the free end of the cover is raised slightly and the cover moved longitudinally to withdraw the pins 33 from the apertured sleeves 34. The locking bolts 15 are next retracted inwardly out of the openings 22 to permit of the end walls being swung away from engagement with, the side walls. Then the partition is swung downwardly away from locking engagement with the side walls. When these steps have been performed, the case may be folded, as shown in Fig. 5.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that I have designed a very strong, substantial, relatively light and very simply constructed case which may be folded into a very compact form for shipment.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that minor changes in construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of'the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim In a case, the combination of a bottom, end walls carried by said bottom and adapted to be folded against the same, side walls, protecting members secured to the a cover, and means for securing said cover 10 in position.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

SHERMAN A. BARRY.

vertical edges of said end Walls and said side Walls, substantially d-shaped channels formed in the inner faces of said end Walls, spring latch members positioned in said channels and engaged With the side Walls, a partition secured to said bottom and adapted to be folded'against the same, means for securing the side walls to said partition to retain said side Walls in proper position,

Witnesses:

HARRY A. BURCH, ARTHUR HANDLING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents.

- Washington, D. G. 

